


Evasion

by jlstreck



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Angst, Bucky Barnes Feels, Gen, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Pre-Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-27
Updated: 2017-06-27
Packaged: 2018-11-19 17:30:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,393
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11318235
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jlstreck/pseuds/jlstreck
Summary: Months after the helicarriers crashed into the Potomac and he saved his mission instead of killing him, the Winter Soldier is hiding on the streets of New York trying to evade capture by a struggling HYDRA.Tony Stark is exhausted and lonely. Pepper made the smart choice and left. The Avengers come and go from the tower, but he's convinced himself they wouldn't notice if he was gone. Simply put - he's done fighting the universe to try to stay alive.What happens when the soldier decides justice at the hands of Tony Stark, no matter what form it takes, must be better than capture - even if it means he has to force the issue?





	Evasion

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MassiveSpaceWren](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MassiveSpaceWren/gifts).



> This fic is for my amazing artist, [MassiveSpaceWren](/users/MassiveSpaceWren/gifts), as part of the 2017 Captain America Reverse Big Bang. 
> 
> Despite an insane set of real life challenges since signing up, I'm so glad I did!

Part 1: Evasion

Ducking into an alley, the figure in all black slipped into the shadows before his pursuers made the last turn. Remaining silent, he listened as they ran past complaining about the unusually long chase he'd led them on. Six attempts in the last two weeks. He needed to either move on or do something. 

Tugging at the mask across his nose and mouth with metal fingers, he cursed under his breath as one of the fingers caught. Five months after pulling his last mission from the Potomac and walking away from the only existence he'd known for 70 years, he'd managed only basic maintenance on his arm. This latest glitch was becoming more common. Fortunately, the arm remained mostly serviceable and had lost none of its strength. Still, he knew if he had any hope of staying out of HYDRA's hands, he was going to have to do something. First, he needed to keep moving before his latest would-be captors wised up and turned around.

Doubling back the direction he'd originally come from, he kept to the shadows remaining unseen from the few people out in this part of town after dark. If he was careful, he could reach his destination unhindered by morning. Of course, reaching the destination was only the first part of the challenge. 

Part 2: Capture

Hunched over his latest project, Tony rubbed his eyes as he fought a yawn.

“Sir,” JARVIS’s voice made him jump. He could have sworn he’d set the Do Not Disturb when he locked himself in the workshop. “Sir, might I remind you that you are scheduled to attend the event for Ms. Gibson in approximately one hour.”

“Shit.” Tony dropped the piece in his hand. “Do you think they’ll notice if I don’t show?”

“Yes, sir. I believe they will. You are, after all, the major reason that she was able to get many other potential volunteers and supporters to show up.” JARVIS let him consider that for a moment, before deciding to continue. “Not to mention, I believe some human interaction would do you well.”

“It hasn’t been that long since I interacted with other humans.”

“If I’m gracious and count the ‘Keep the change,’ you muttered at the pizza delivery man, it has been 3 days, 21 hours, and 46 minutes. If I apply a more reasonable filter, you haven’t had a meaningful interaction since Captain Rogers and Mr. Wilson left on their latest attempt to find Sargent Barnes.”

“That was only a week ago.” Tony argued.

“That was 19 days ago. Two days short of 3 weeks.” JARVIS argued. “If you don’t attend this evening’s event, I’m afraid I will have no choice but to notify Ms. Potts.”

Tony’s shoulders slumped at the reminder of the protocols she insisted be put in place before she left. It still hurt to know she knew him so well, even when she couldn’t live with the path he’d chosen for his life.

“Let’s be realistic, J. Ms. Potts isn’t going to drop everything to make sure I’m being socialized like some rescue dog that needs to be re-integrated into polite society.”

“She may not, sir; however, I believe Ms. Potts would likely call in reinforcements. I believe Ms. Romanov may be within a suitable distance for a visit.”

Tony shuddered. He liked Natasha, but she still scared him. “Do I have to stay for the entire thing?” Tony opted to bargain his way down to the shortest possible engagement. When he RSVP’ed 3 month ago he was looking forward to going and helping Ms. Gibson make a success of the new technology training program she was introducing for at-risk youths. But at that point, he’d thought Pepper would be going with him, and they would have a fun evening. The entire affair held less appeal knowing he was on his own.

“You don’t have to stay for the entire event, but I believe your presence will be required through the auction.”

“Fine.” Tony grumbled, tossing the grease-stained rag onto the workbench before turning for the door. “What’s the dress code for this thing?”

“Nothing to worry about, sir. I had proper attire set out for you already.”

“Thanks, J.”

“And Sir, whatever you do, don't let Ms. Jackson get ahold of you. She appears to be on the guest list." 

Tony shivered, “I can promise you I'll use every evasive maneuver I know to avoid capture tonight." 

Nearly three hours later, Tony gave himself a mental smack upside the head. He’d managed to avoid Ms. Jackson for the entire evening, but somehow his last conversation had left him backed into a corner - easy prey for the overeager widower. Now she had him trapped and showed no signs of letting him escape.

“I just love how involved you are with the foundation. It’s not everyone in your position who would make time to do more than write a check.” She leaned closer as she spoke, making Tony squirm.

The unexpected vibration of his phone in his pants pocket made him jump. Grabbing it like the lifeline it promised to be, he took one look at the screen and had to refrain from jumping up and down in celebration.

“So sorry to run, but looks like Avenger’s business. We’ll catch up next time.” He all but ran toward the nearest exit.

As soon as he shut the door to the alley at the side of the building, he answered the call. “You are an angel.”

“What have you gotten yourself into?” 

Tony tried not to wince at the accusation he heard in Natasha’s voice. “What makes you ask that?” 

“Something about you calling me an angel makes me think I’m about to have to come rescue you.” 

“Conveniently you already did, so don’t worry. No need to put yourself out on my account.” 

“Way to ruin my fun.” Natasha laughed.

“You know me. Always disappointing people.” He shrugged as he turned down the alley. “Anyway, I’m guessing you didn’t call to save me from an overeager widower, so what can I do for you? The new widow bites are almost ready, if you’re checking up on them.” 

“So, JARVIS managed to get you out the door for the fundraiser after all.”

“How did you know about that?” Tony had forgotten about it himself, so he knew he wasn’t the one to mention it. 

“I have my sources.” He could imagine her smirk as she said it. “I was actually just calling to see if you’d heard anything from the search party. I haven’t been able to reach them in a couple of days.” 

Tony frowned. He should have known she wasn’t calling for anything related to him. “J said they checked in last night to have him run an analysis on something.”

“That’s good.” She sounded relieved. “Well, I know you’re busy so, I’ll let you go.” 

“Sure.” Tony tried not to sound disappointed. 

“Hey, Tony,” Natasha added before he could disconnect. “Try to stay out of trouble, okay?”

“Sure thing. I’ll be on my best behavior.” Tony disconnected the call, shoving the phone back into his pocket before he felt the unexpected pinch of cold steel across his throat as his hair was jerked backwards.

“Seriously? Did you not just hear me say I was going to stay out of trouble.”

His assailant said nothing, just pressed the knife more firmly against his skin.

 

[ ](http://i.imgur.com/raBZfZQ.jpg)

“If you want my money just take it.” He started to reach for his wallet, stilling when the blade pressed harder against his skin. “In that case, just get it over with.” Closing his eyes, he was done fighting every time someone or something tried to end him. Granted, this seemed rather boring compared to being kidnapped in a foreign country or being trapped in a wormhole or getting killed by a random alien, but he was done. As JARVIS so astutely pointed out, he was becoming a recluse. Getting killed off by some random thug on the streets of New York would save everyone the trouble of having to act like they cared. 

Instead of the pierce of a blade, Tony felt his hair being released. A second later, his keys were being pulled from his pocket. He tried not to groan at the realization that he was apparently just going to have his car stolen. “Go ahead and take her. Tank’s almost full. I won’t stop you.” 

He heard the car chirp as it was unlocked and was half surprised to feel himself being pulled toward the vehicle. 

“Seriously, I haven’t even gotten a look at you, so it’s not like I can ID you if I call the cops.” Tony tried not to gasp as he caught a glimpse of metal as the door jerked open and he was shoved inside. Scrambling to climb into the passenger’s seat, Tony ignored the knife that maintained contact with his throat throughout their transition into the vehicle as he stared at the man behind the wheel. “Bucky?”

Tired gray eyes met his from behind the mask that covered the majority of his attacker’s face as the car fired to life and pulled away the curb.

“Either you have crazy luck or you grabbing me wasn’t a coincidence.” Tony continued to stare, hoping for some clue what was going to happen. Something about the situation made him a lot more interested in surviving the coming moments. "So where are you taking me?"

Metal fingers left the steering wheel long enough to pull the mask free. "Home,” the soldier stated flatly.

Tony tried not to wince at the red, irritated skin where the mask had been. “And just where is your home?” He had a hard time envisioning where Bucky might have been living given his rough appearance. 

After several quiet seconds, the response came. “I don’t have a home. We’re going to that tower of yours.”

"Wait. You're kidnapping me to take me home?” Tony was sure he’d heard that wrong. “Home, where I have all kinds of suits or armor and might stand a chance of beating you? Home, where any one or more of the Avengers could show up at any moment?"

"Yes. That home." 

“Given that, I’m guessing you’re either stupid or have no intention of killing me. I’m going to guess the latter since I’ve heard you’re actually pretty damned clever.”

“I guess you’ll have to take your chances.” Bucky’s brow arched as he kept his eyes fixed on the road, though he did lower the knife from where it had remained pointed at Tony’s throat. "I'm not coming to you with some misguided belief that I'll be welcomed. I'm coming with the hope that whatever punishment you deliver will be infinitely more humane than what they will do to me. You can call the Avengers, lock me up, whatever. I don't care. I won't let them take me again. I can't."

"Slow down there. Just who is after you other than Capsicle?" He really hoped it wasn’t Cap that Bucky was running from. That would get ugly fast.

"HYDRA. Despite Steve's," he emphasized the name heavily, "best efforts there are still existing HYDRA cells, and they want me back." 

"And what do you believe they'll do to you if they catch you?"

"If I'm lucky, kill me in the most painful way they can imagine." Bucky sounded resigned. 

"And if you're not?"

“I'll be reset, reconditioned, and turned back into their weapon... kept on ice when they don't need me to do their dirty work." If Tony wasn’t mistaken, it was fear that overtook the soldier’s expression with that answer.

"And the slow, tortured death is preferable?"

"Yes.” His answer was emphatic. “They tried to make me kill Steve twice already. They'll do it again. Him and everyone he cares about. I’d rather die." 

"You're right. That doesn't sound appealing." Tony stared at him for a moment. "So, you're saying I could put you down like a rabid dog, and you wouldn't stop me?"

"I won't resist. I just ask that you don't make Steve watch." 

"Well, killing off Capsicle's best friend isn't exactly high on my to-do list. Pretty sure that's the fastest route to losing what ground I've gained with him." Tony shrugged. It wasn’t that he thought Steve really considered him a friend, but it felt like he’d gained some measure of ground with him since New York.

"I thought you two were part of a team?" Tony could imagine Bucky expected them to be more like the Howling Commandos and less like the mess they often were.

"Oh, we are. It just wasn't the smoothest start for us. Tensions were high. I have epic daddy issues that partially involved him. Thing were said that shouldn't have been. Truth is, I was an ass."

“Oh.” Bucky fell silent again as they neared the tower. 

Knowing he needed to give JARVIS some idea how to handle the situation, Tony considered the best way to broach the subject with the soldier. He wasn’t sure how the other man would feel about knowing they’d been monitored by the AI from the second they entered the car. Tony’s best guess was that J was waiting for an indication of Tony’s intent. Thankfully JARVIS was pretty good at reading a situation and had remained silent. 

“Just so I’m clear on where things stand,” Tony started. “You’re not planning on killing me, right?” 

“That’s right.” Bucky frowned. “I’ve had enough of killing the good guys for a while.” 

“Fair enough.” Tony nodded. “In that case, if it’s all the same to you, I’d prefer to delay the decision on what to do with you for now. Like I said, killing you isn’t really on my agenda. As far as I know, nobody is going to be popping into the tower for the next couple days, so let’s just take the time to consider the options.” 

“You’re serious?” Bucky finally met his eyes. 

“Yeah.” Tony shrugged. “I’m sure someone will lecture me about my lack of self-preservation later, but seriously you broke through your programing, saved Cap, and aside from pointing a knife at me and shoving me into my own car haven’t actually done anything to hurt me. You seem pretty intent on letting me decide your fate. I’m saying I want more than twenty minutes to think about that.”

Bucky pulled the car into the private entrance of Stark tower, making Tony wonder just how much recon he’d done before approaching him this evening. 

“It’s your call. HYDRA should have a hard time getting to me here, so if you want time, the ball is in your court.”

“Okay, first things first. Don’t freak out over the magic voice in the ceiling.” 

“Magic voice?” Bucky’s brows shot up as he looked at Tony as if he’d lost his mind.

“Not really magic. JARVIS is my AI. He’s pretty much everywhere, but Capsicle always looks at the ceiling when speaking to him. Hence the magic voice in the ceiling.”

“Stevie never was as excited by all the tech as I was.” Bucky shook his head. 

“So, you like tech, do you?” Tony’s curiosity was piqued. He’d be lying if he said he hadn’t already contemplated the idea of getting Bucky into the shop so he could get his hands on that arm. 

“You could say that.” Bucky shrugged as he pulled the car into the empty spot and turned off the ignition. “So, this AI of yours, has it been listening to us this whole time?” 

Tony nodded, not sure how the soldier would respond to this new information. 

“And he did call for help as soon as we got in the car?” Bucky sounded incredulous.

“J, you want to answer that for yourself?” Tony decided to let the AI explain himself. 

“Indeed, Sargent Barnes, I did not call for assistance. Your actions did not indicate that Sir was in immediate physical danger. Had you been an unknown assailant, protocols would have dictated different actions, but given our participation in Captain Roger’s efforts to locate you with the goal of ensuring your well-being, immediate defensive measures did not appear to be the most expedient course of action.” 

Bucky stared at Tony, at a loss for words. 

“J has been around for a long time. I honestly think after the whole fiasco with Loki and the Chitauri nothing phases him.” He gestured toward the door from the garage. “What do you say we move this inside? I don’t know about you, but I’d really like to get out of this suit.” 

Giving a quick nod, Bucky opened his door and climbed out, following Tony’s lead as they headed toward the door. 

“Speaking of wardrobe choices … mind if I ask a question?” 

“Something tells me you’d ask even if I minded, so go ahead.” Bucky smirked at him, seemingly becoming more at ease now that they were in the tower.

“You’ve been away from HYDRA for months and yet if the footage I saw was accurate you’re wearing the same thing you were when the helicarriers went down. Why?”

Bucky shrugged as they stepped onto the elevator, “I managed to get my hands on a few pieces of civilian clothes, but given the cat and mouse game I’ve been playing with HYDRA for the last few weeks the tactical suit just seemed easier. It’s not like I had honest means to acquire a new wardrobe.” 

“Fair enough, but the mask?”

“What about it?”

“I get the clothes, but why wear the mask?” Bucky offered no explanation, just a shrug. "You're telling me you jumped ship and kept the mask because it was such a bold fashion statement? Or maybe that's just your kink." Tony challenged. "That thing looks so uncomfortable it makes my suits look like fleece pajamas."

The soldier stared at him.

"Cat got your tongue?"

Bucky shook his head, weighing his next words carefully. "I don't deserve the freedom implied by removing the mask. I am a weapon. They made me ... they made me kill so many. This," he held the mask out toward Stark, "is just like a muzzle used on a vicious dog."

"Well unless you're planning to chew my arm off, I vote you leave it off." 

The soldier eyed him, glancing down to Tony’s arm. “It’s been a while since I had a decent meal, but I’ve made it this far without turning cannibal. I think I can resist starting now.”

“I’m starting to see where Captain Sassy Pants got his attitude from.” Tony laughed, surprised to see a small grin on Bucky’s face as well. “And I’m pretty sure we can get you a decent meal and a few better options for your wardrobe.”

The elevator doors opened onto Tony’s floor and the billionaire stepped out, gesturing for Bucky to follow. 

“I’m the only one home at the moment. I’ll give you a quick tour after I get out of this getup. Feel free to poke around. I’ll be back in a flash.” Tony disappeared through the bedroom door, continuing to talk. “Any preferences for dinner? J can get just about anything delivered? Do you eat as much as Cap? I swear when he and Thor are both here it’s like feeding a small army.”

“Not really picky. Whatever you want is fine,” Bucky called out as Tony pulled a t-shirt over his head. 

“You can’t honestly tell me that you have no food preferences whatsoever.” Tony hollered back. “If your clothing options were as sparse as you say, I can’t imagine your food choices were much better. There’s gotta be something you’d just love to sink your teeth into.” Tony fastened his jeans and slipped on his flip flops intent on staying comfortable.

Bucky watched as he came back through the door. “I don’t even know what half the stuff was that I’ve eaten in the last few months. Mostly just managed to make do on whatever I found as I went.”

Tony looked at him more closely. Now that he was really paying attention he could see the Winter Soldier uniform fit more loosely than it was intended. It was hard to get a clear read on his physical state under all the leather, but he could imagine it was less than ideal. 

“Anything cause problems?” 

“Everything did for a while, but at this point I seem to be able to tolerate just about anything.” Bucky watched as Tony walked over the fridge, pulling out two bottles of water before handing one to him. “Thanks.” 

“No problem. If it’s in the fridge or cabinets consider it fair game. Granted, right now that doesn’t exactly offer a lot, but J will get that fixed. Right, J?”

“Of course, sir. Shall I stock as if Captain Rogers is in residence?”

“That’s a good starting point.” Tony agreed. “As you figure out what you like or don’t, just let J know. He’ll adapt and order accordingly. As far as dinner goes, J why don’t you just get a few different things, and we’ll see what strikes his fancy.” 

“Consider it done.” JARVIS responded immediately. 

“Now, while we wait for food to get here I vote we pop down to Cap’s floor and find you some clothes. Assuming you aren’t up for a trip to the mall anytime soon, we’ll do some on-line shopping later, but I’m about 150% sure Cap won’t object to you raiding his closet.”

Bucky followed him silently, overwhelmed by the odd way the evening was progressing. He’d half expected to be dead before they ever got to the tower and half expected to be locked up like a wild animal as soon as they arrived. This over the top hospitality was foreign and unexpected. 

A moment later they were climbing out of the elevator again. The living area was much more sparsely decorated on this floor, but Bucky could see bits of Steve in the things that surrounded them. He swallowed against the rising emotion as being in the middle of a room that Steve must consider to be home on some level. 

“Each of the team have their own floor here. Some were more resistant than others to the idea, but they’ve all managed to make them their own. He seems to prefer a fairly minimalist approach to things, but it seems to work well enough for him.”

“He’s pretty used to getting by without much.” Bucky traced his hand along the shelf of books, many of them ones that they’d read when they were younger. His breath caught when he came across a picture of the two of them from their time with the Howling Commandos. Picking up the frame, he stared at it remembering the day it was taken. “I’m not who he remembers. What if I’m too broken?” His voice was quiet, but standing only a couple feet from him, he knew Tony heard him. 

“He’s pretty broken himself.” Tony answered honestly. “He thinks nobody notices, but sometimes I see the same haunted look on his face that I see when I look in the mirror. He’s lost so much. I don’t think he cares how messed up you are. You’re still you on some level which means he doesn’t have to have lost you along with everything else.”

Setting the picture back on the shelf, Bucky turned to face Tony. “I hope you’re right.” 

“I tend to be wrong about a lot of things with people, but this is one of the few things that I’d bet anything I’m right about. Once he checks in again, we can put that theory to the test.”

Bucky nodded, already starting to move further around the room. “How often does he check in usually?” 

“When they’re off following leads like this, protocol is for them to check in with JARVIS at least every three days. He heard from them last night, so they’ve got another two nights. After that we start worrying.”

“And he goes along with those rules?” Bucky had a hard time believing Steve really adhered to those rules. 

“He does if he doesn’t want to be on the receiving end of Natasha’s fury. And trust me, there are few other things that will motivate an even remotely sensible person like the idea of being on her bad side.”

Bucky smirked. “I can imagine.” 

“You have something of a history with our darling Natasha, don’t you?”

“You could say that.” Bucky’s smirk grew. 

“Fine, don’t tell me the good stuff. You spies and assassins are all the same - as tight-lipped as they come.” Tony gestured toward the bedroom. “Why don’t we find you something to wear before the food gets here.” Following along, Bucky let Tony pull various items out of Steve’s drawers. “That should do for tonight and tomorrow until we can let you pick some things of your own.”

“You say that like you expect me to be here for a while.” Bucky held the pile of clothes in front of him as they headed back toward the elevator. 

“Well considering the options you laid out earlier, it seemed like your stay could be of a rather indefinite length. Assuming you stick to the agreement not to kill me, I see no reason to kick you out. All things considered, I’d much prefer you stick around until Cap gets back. The idiot is going to get himself hurt or killed if he keeps up this global wild goose chase he’s got going on looking for you and trying to obliterate every trace of HYDRA he can find.” 

Bucky nodded, “Then I guess I’ll be here for a while.” 

“Sir, dinner will be here in approximately twenty minutes.” JARVIS’s voice interrupted as they climbed back off the elevator. 

“Perfect.” Tony pointed down the hall opposite his own room. “There are two guest rooms. Both have private bathrooms and should be fully stocked. Pick whichever one you prefer. You heard J. You’ve got time to grab a shower before we eat.”

Bucky started down the hall, turning back to face Tony before he reached the first door. “Tony, thank you.” 

Tony stared at him, mouth gaping for a moment before he managed to reply. “You’re welcome.”

Eighteen minutes later, Bucky reappeared in the living room. Wet hair tangled around his ears, the way Cap’s clothes were loose on him made Tony frown. With nothing but a t-shirt on, he could see the uneven seam where flesh and metal arm met through the thin cotton. 

“Does it hurt?” Tony spoke before he could stop himself. “Sorry. Probably none of my business, but …”

“Not even sure I know how to tell what hurts and doesn’t these days. After a while you just stop registering pain the way your body is intended.” Bucky’s eyes shifted toward the door a second before someone knocked.

“That must be dinner.” Tony headed to answer it, noticing Bucky shifted out of sight. A moment later, he was setting bags on the bar counter so the super soldier could pick whatever he wanted. “You’ve got options. Don’t feel like you have to try everything or finish everything you decide to try.” Deciding to set a good example, Tony grabbed his own plate and started dishing up random things, making sure to skip some containers just to prove the point. He smiled when Bucky grabbed the other plate and followed his lead. 

Plate piled high with food, Tony made his way to the couch. “We might as well be comfortable.” 

“You can tell me to mind my own business, but you said you really couldn’t tell if the arm hurt or not.” Bucky nodded as he spoke. “Is it causing any problems?” 

Bucky set his plate on the coffee table before stretching his arm out in front of him. Tony watched as he manipulated the various joints, taking note of every little catch or glitch as they went. When something sounded like it was grinding inside the shoulder, he felt a cold chill. 

“That may not hurt, but it gives me the chills.” 

Shrugging, Bucky picked his plate back up. “The grinding is actually new. The rest has been going on for a while. Unfortunately, I was never trained on more than very basic maintenance. They had various techs that handled everything else for it, usually while I was sedated.”

“Well, I make no guarantee, but I’m happy to see if I can get some of the kinks worked out.” Tony saw the apprehension on Bucky’s face. “No sedation or restraints required. We don’t even have to do it in the workshop if you prefer.” 

“That would be nice. Why don’t you show me the workshop on the tour, and I’ll let you know if I think it’ll be a problem.” 

Tony grinned. “Fair enough. Once I have a better feel for it and can get J to help run some diagnostics, I’d say we can probably come up with an entirely new model. Assuming you wouldn’t mind getting rid of the HYDRA tech.” 

“That’s a pretty fair assumption.” Bucky grinned before picking up a fried pickle and sniffing hesitantly before shoving it in his mouth. Tony tried not to laugh as his face almost immediately screwed up and his head shook. 

“Not a fan, eh?” 

Shaking his head, Bucky shoved another piece of sweet and sour chicken in his mouth. 

“Pretty sure people either love those or hate them. Personally, I love them.” Tony laughed as Bucky shoved his plate toward Tony, silently offering up the remaining three pickles. “Don’t mind if I do.” 

By the end of the meal, Bucky had determined he liked everything JARVIS had ordered except the fried pickles. 

“Well, at least you don’t look like you’re going to be a picky eater.” Tony laughed as they headed back to the elevator for the abbreviated tower tour. Within the hour, they’d covered the gym, library, communal kitchen and living room, pool, and a variety of other areas Tony thought Bucky might appreciate seeing. Finally, they wound up in his workshop. 

The second they walked in, Dum-E and U came to greet them. “Don’t mind these two. They’re usually pretty harmless.” The two beeped at him, earning an affectionate pat from their creator. Bucky watched, smiling as the two followed Tony further into the lab. 

“I think we can do the repairs down here.” Bucky chuckled as the robots vied for the position closest to Tony. 

“You sure?” 

“Yeah. There’s nothing about this place that reminds me of HYDRA. They tended to err on the side of dramatic and creepy. This place just looks like somewhere that I would have sold an organ to get into when I was younger.”

“Well, you’re welcome to come mess around down here. I can show you a thing or two or you can just do your own thing.” Tony grinned. He and Bruce both enjoyed science, but their specialties were varied enough that they rarely just played around together in Tony’s shop. 

“Seriously?” 

“Yes. JARVIS accuses me of trying to become a recluse. If you’re with me then he won’t have anything to fuss about.” 

“That is a valid assumption, Sir.” JARVIS spoke up. 

“Am I the only one that pictured him rolling his eyes when he said that?” Bucky asked. 

“No. You aren’t.” Tony griped. 

“Sir, Captain Rogers is calling. Would you like me to connect him?” 

Tony looked to Bucky. “Are you ready to call him home?” The soldier nodded, not able to make the words come out. “Mind if I have a little fun with him?” 

“Why not.” Bucky shrugged, feeling the knot in his stomach lessen at the mischievous look in Tony’s eyes. 

“Perfect. Go stand over there,” he pointed to one corner of the lab. “You’ll know when to make an appearance.” 

Bucky made his way to the designated corner as Tony had JARVIS connect the call and put Steve up on the screen. 

“Hey there, Cap. How goes the hunt?” Steve’s dejected expression almost made him feel bad for the delay. 

“Shut down another HYDRA offshoot, but no sign of Buck.” Steve shook his head. “I really thought we were getting close this time.” 

“I’m sorry, Cap. Are you guys headed back? I found something at the fundraiser tonight that might help cheer you up.” Tony tried not to fidget too much. 

“Thought I’d check in to see if JARVIS had any new leads before we head back.” Steve sighed, his dejection over another failed attempt to locate Bucky evident. 

“Want to know what I found for you?” Tony was pretty sure Bucky wouldn’t forgive him for dragging this out any more given Steve’s expression. “I think it might actually be worth sticking around the tower for a while.” 

He could tell Steve was trying to muster a smile. “What’d you find, Tony?” 

“A bit of a relic really.” Tony heard Bucky’s footsteps approaching. “Probably should have given it to the Smithsonian, but I thought you might take better care of it.” He could tell the second Bucky came into view on Steve’s screen as the blond’s jaw dropped. 

“Buck?”

“Got it in one, punk.” Bucky stood next to him now, and Tony could feel him shaking. “What do you say you come home?” 

“How? When? Where?” Steve stumbled trying to figure out what to ask. “Why …”

“Had some stuff I had to figure out first. I promise I’ll tell you everything when you get here.” Bucky couldn’t stop the tremble in his voice.

“You promise you’ll still be there when I get there?” 

“Unless Stark decides to kick me out.” Bucky tried to make Steve laugh, but frowned when his eyes went wide in panic.

“Relax, Capsicle. I’ve got him settled in one of the guest rooms on my floor. Already fed him and everything. We did have to borrow some of your clothes.”

“Borrow ‘em all. Hell, keep ‘em all. I don’t care.” Steve looked like he was about to collapse from sheer exhausted relief. 

“How about you and the spare bird just get yourselves back here. You two can negotiate wardrobe rights then.” Tony laughed. “Right now, you look like you need to pass out and sleep for the rest of the trip, and that’s something coming from the man who tends to forget to sleep.” 

Steve nodded frantically. 

“Sleep, Stevie. I’ll see you the second you step off that jet.” Bucky scolded the man on the screen, seeing that Tony was right. The idiot was wearing himself down more than should be possible for a super soldier. 

“You better.” Sam leaned over Steve’s shoulder. “I’m gonna go shove this one into his rack. If you aren’t there when we land I will hunt you down and make you regret it.” 

This time it was Bucky that could only nod in silent agreement as the screen went blank. 

“J, what’s their ETA?” Tony asked before Bucky could register that he didn’t know. 

“Five hours, sir.” 

“So, I’m thinking you go make use of that lovely bed that’s in your room because something tells me you two idiots aren’t going to sleep for a ridiculous amount of time once he gets here.”

“But …”

“No buts. The arm can wait a bit longer, and JARVIS will make sure you’re awake and right where you’re supposed to be when Cap gets here.” Tony ushered him back toward the elevator. 

This time, Bucky reached out and stopped Tony from walking away when they reached the living room. “You know, I really didn’t know what to expect tonight. I wasn’t lying when I said you could have killed me, and I wouldn’t have stopped you. Thank you for not doing it. I guess I didn’t realize what knowing I was alive but not being able to find me was doing to him. I just … I hope you have some idea how much I owe you for everything.”

“No problem. I pretty much exist to help the team out.” 

“I think you exist for a lot more than that, Tony. Give yourself more credit, you’ve given a group of people with no home and little or no family a place to call home … a place to be a family. I haven’t formally met most of them yet and have only been here for a few hours, but I can see that just from the little tour we took.”

Tony gave him a smile but said little else. He hated to admit it, but part of him was a bit sad that Cap would be back so soon. For those brief hours, he’d actually thought he and Bucky might end up being friends despite all the reasons that such a thing should be considered impossible. 

“And Tony, just because he’s coming home sooner than you expected doesn’t mean I don’t want to come hang out in the shop. Something tells me there are a lot of hours of fun to be had down there with the two of us.” 

Tony shook his head, “You don’t have to pretend …” 

“I’m not. I told you, tech stuff was always my thing, not his. Steve may be the best friend I’ve ever had, but that doesn’t mean he’s the only friend I’ve ever had or will ever want. I mean, I know it’s probably not customary to introduce yourself to new friends at knife point, but if you can overlook our rather unconventional introduction, it seems like we could do pretty well.”

“Well, if I ruled out being friends with everyone that threatened me, I wouldn’t have any friends. I think I can probably get over the whole knife thing.” Tony grinned. “Now go get some sleep. I might even do the same. J will wake us up when they’re close.” 

“See you in a few.” Bucky nodded as he turned for the guest room. He had to admit the idea of catching a few hours of uninterrupted sleep was a welcome idea. The entire evening had gone so much better than he could have hoped. There was a long way to go before he could claim to be anywhere past the trauma of the last 75 years, but it was starting to feel at least a bit possible that this new world he found himself in might actually lead to a future.


End file.
